Damon Hall

Sponsor: Sarah K. deCoizart Perpetual Trust

Unveiling municipal policy innovations for insect pollinator conservation: Lessons for Rusty-patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) recovery 

 This two-year project investigates municipal insect pollinator conservation policy innovations across New England, focusing on habitat recovery for the endangered Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis). Despite severe pollinator declines driven by habitat loss, cities demonstrate surprising bee diversity due to diverse landscaping choices and green spaces. However, innovative municipal conservation policies remain widely distributed, obscure, and inaccessible, limiting knowledge transfer between municipalities and preventing effective policies from scaling up.